Inefficient burning of hydrocarbon fuels has many negative consequences. With the existence of only a limited amount of hydrocarbon fuels and the high cost of these fuels to a consumer, it is desirable to try to conserve as much of these resources as possible.
In addition to the economic benefits to hydrocarbon conservation, the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels are harmful to the environment—when hydrocarbons are not burned completely, residual hydrocarbons are expelled through an exhaust pipe or chimney, which wastes energy and money, and furthermore pollutes the environment. This atmospheric pollution is a key contributor to the concept of global warming which is of great concern to people around the world. Provision of a method or apparatus for the more efficient combustion of hydrocarbons which would reduce atmospheric pollution would be desirable in an environmental context.
In addition to the benefits which could be gained environmentally from the burning of hydrocarbon fuels a higher fuel to energy conversion efficiency, there will also be economic benefits. In addition to residual material discharge into the environment, low efficiency hydrocarbon combustion can also leave behind residue in the combustion engine which requires additional maintenance or could shorten the life of that equipment. Reducing wear and tear on the engine or other apparatus in which those fuels are being burned, by enhancing hydrocarbon combustion, would also be desirable insofar as it would decrease maintenance.
Many different attempts have been made in the past to develop products which can be used to increase the efficiency at which hydrocarbon fuels are burned. A number of these devices use an electric field which acts on hydrocarbon fuels to help the fuel burn more efficiently. Other devices have attempted to enhance the efficiency of hydrocarbon combustion using the magnetic field of permanent magnets, claiming that applying a permanent magnetic field to hydrocarbon fuels immediately before combustion in some fashion alters the fuels electrical properties and increases the efficiency of combustion. Some examples of prior patents in the field of permanent magnets used in this fashion include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,572,145, 3,830,621 and 5,080,080.
Other devices apply an electrostatic charge to the fuel at the nozzle of the fuel injector before combustion, reducing the viscosity of the fuel by imparting a negative charge onto the individual atoms. When this happens, the atoms repel each other making the fuel less viscous. As the viscosity is lower, when a fuel injector injects the fuel to be burned, the fuel breaks up into smaller particles and burns more completely. The drawback with these devices is that they require a specific fuel injector that can be difficult and expensive to install.
Some of the problems which are associated with these previous electric or magnetic devices which could be installed in a motor vehicle for example to endeavor to enhance hydrocarbon combustion efficiency include difficulties with installation as well as the complexity of the device itself. On the point of installation, many electric or magnetic devices might use coils or cables to produce the electric or magnetic field which is required for operation of the device, and the installation of coils or cables in the pre-existing engine compartment or on fuel lines etc. can be difficult or complex requiring professional-service work to be done in the vehicle and potentially decreasing the marks of acceptance or acceptability of those products. It would be desirable to provide, in the context of an electromagnetic combustion optimization device, a device which could be easily and quickly installed by the owner in a motor vehicle or on some other internal combustion engine. In addition to internal combustion engines, any other application in which hydrocarbon fuels are burned could be enhanced similarly.